The show says it hired an independent lab to test samples of apple juice produced overseas, and one-third of the samples contained levels of arsenic higher than what the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allows in drinking water.

However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is calling the information presented on the show "misleading" and "irresponsible." After conducting its own tests on the same apple juice lots, the FDA found arsenic levels well within safe margins (almost zero).

Plus, according to the FDA, there are different types of arsenic — some dangerous, a.k.a., inorganic (like from pesticides) — and some that are naturally occurring, or organic, that aren’t as dangerous. Oz show only counted the total amount of arsenic without differentiating. Oz’s lab tested came back with arsenic levels higher than what the EPA deems safe for drinking water. For this reason, it seems as though drinking small amounts of apple juice shouldn’t be a concern at this time,” they say.

(Oz admits that inorganic arsenic is what we should focus on, but isn’t convinced that organic arsenic is safe.) UPDATE 12/1/11: An investigation by Consumer Reports finds that roughly 10 percent their apple and grape juice samples, from five brands, had total arsenic levels that exceeded federal drinking-water standards. One in four samples also had lead levels higher than the FDA’s bottled-water limit of 5 ppb. And part of the reason I wanted to do the show is because I’ve been talking about the benefits of things like apple juice.”Still have questions about your favorite brand? Oz also says that juice concentrate made in the USA is highly regulated and thus a safer choice, so check your labels.“One thing the experts seem to agree on is that the safety of arsenic (even when talking about total amounts vs. Plus, apple juice is a good source of vitamin C, so it’s actually healthy in moderation.